1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic money management system, which provides environment where electronic money independently issued by plural issuers is arbitrarily replenished and made usable at shops.
2. Prior Art
The electronic money can deal with even low value payment which is difficult for a credit card, and has attracted attention as a scheme to reduce inconvenience of handling cash on hand and a risk of hand-carrying cash. In such a usage mode of electronic money, there are considered various types. Here, the [electronic money] is referred to as money representing a monetary value by digital data, and the [issuer] is referred to as the issuing organization (corporate organization, business enterprise, and the like) of such electronic money.
For example, in the case of the electronic money of a prepaid type using an IC card, the IC card owned by an user is recorded with a predetermined amount of the electronic money in advance, and this card can be suitably used at the shop (to spend the monetary value represented by the electronic money by changing it into cash, and so on). The IC card is replenished with the electronic money of the monetary value corresponding to cash inputted into a specific electronic money replenishing device by the user.
In general, the IC card is issued by each issuer. Usually, the electronic money replenishing device and the electronic money reduction device to reduce the electronic money recorded in the IC card are also installed by each issuer. When issuing the IC card, a card ID unique to that IC card is given, and this is managed by the issuer side. The issuer also manages an issue amount of the electronic money issued through the electronic money replenishing device.
When the IC card is issued by each issuer and the electronic money replenishing device is independently installed, there occurs an inconvenience in which the user of the electronic money is unable to replenish the electronic money by using the electronic money replenishing device of a different issuer. Further, shop receiving payment by the electronic money, for example, a department store, a restaurant, an automatic vending machine, and the like is required to be installed with a specific electronic money reduction device by each issuer, and this causes a problem that the cost thereof is increased.
A main object of the resent invention is to provide a scheme for making the replenishment of the electronic money independently issued by plural issuers and the utilization of the electronic money by the user easy.